Motivated to Motivate

Motivated to Motivate

Presented by Brian KuiperPRTI 2010

Why this topic??

Results of a MA class that opened my eyes

Occasional lounge or IEP discussions Motivation is an often misinterpreted

problem in student learning My fear that external rewards are over-

used in education

What really is motivation?

“Student motivation naturally has to do with students’ desire to participate in the learning process. But it also concerns the reasons or goals that underlie their involvement or noninvolvement in academic activities”.

• Linda Lumsden, Student Motivation to Learn

What really is motivation?

“Comes from within” “From the inside out” “You know what you want. Go after it” “Surround yourself with positive people” “Be your best”

Importance of motivation

“We know that if we match two people of identical ability and give them the identical opportunity and conditions to achieve, the motivated person will surpass the unmotivated person in performance and outcome”.

• Raymond Wlodkowski, How Motivation Affects Instruction

Importance of motivation

Motivated people are more likely to do things they think will help them learn.

Motivation “mediates learning and is a consequence of learning as well”.

People work longer and with more intensity when motivated.

• Raymond Wlodkowski, How Motivation Affects Instruction

Unmotivated preschoolers????

Infants and young children are curious, explorers, and self motivated in many cases

What happens to some students when they enter the school setting?

What is wrong with US that we have a problem with motivation?

Lack of Motivation comes from:

• Misperception by teacher – the look

• Disinterest in subject matter

• Fear of failure

• Satisfaction with past successes

• Other needs not being met (Sleep, hunger)

• Misunderstanding of assignment

• Lack of challenge

• Rewards are not universally effective

• AND MANY more reasons

Historical Views of Motivation

Behavior Reinforcement Theory• Behaviors can be maintained or

increased in frequency if reinforced in some tangible way.

• Ideas promoted by Skinner and Thorndike in the 1940’s – 1960’s

• “Operant conditioning”

Historical Views of Motivation

Cognitive motivation – 1960’s• Beliefs and expectations motivate

• Believe that hard work will be rewarded because it has been in the past.

• How students FEEL about the learning experience determines how they approach the next one.

Historical Views of Motivation

Expectancy x Value theory – late 1960’s• Effort and persistence increase when a task has

some value attached to it.

• Students need to see that pride is more valuable than shame OR

• See value in learning by recognizing where others have ended up who have gone before them.

Historical Views of Motivation

Needs Theories of the 1960’s• Maslow and others suggested that basic

needs had to be met before students could be motivated to learn.

• Sleep, food, drink, safety, love, etc.

• Had some trouble with college students or others students who had all-night study periods prior to exams or big deadlines

Historical Views of Motivation

Intrinsic motivation theory• “humans are inherently motivated to develop

their intellectual and other competencies…measure motivation by observing people’s voluntary activities” (Stipek, p11).

• Rewarded by outcomes and interest and enjoyment.

• Can be manipulated by increasing feelings of control, autonomy, or self-worth.

Historical Views of Motivation

Goal theory• Students have different goals than teachers –

they will try to meet their goals

• Task of the teacher is to make child’s goals and teacher’s goals the same.

• People engage in behaviors for different reasons so the important thing is to recognize effort, persistence, and observable behaviors.

Historical Views of Motivation

In summary – • Notice most of these theories seek to change

observable behaviors through carrots and candies

• DANGER of Rewards – not accessible to all students

• MOST are looking for a short term fix

• NONE address the nature of the heart like we must as Christian teachers

• NOT the point of this presentation to do so exclusively but to investigate teaching strategies that will help motivate.

Typical student approach

“Can I succeed at this task?” “Do I want to do this task?” “Why am I doing this task?”

• All questions that are asked maybe not in that order but consciously or unconsciously asked by most students.

Why does SCHOOL stifle motivation?

This assumes SCHOOL stifles motivation. School attendance is mandatory School curriculum is pre-chosen Class size is 25 or more Social dynamics of the classroom (Fear of Failure) Work is graded and performance evaluated

“You teach children, not science or math.”

• Timothy Stephenson

Solutions to the “Problem”?

Solutions to the “Problem”? Motivation issues – like all behavioral issues – are

matters of the heart.• “keep thy heart…for out of it are the issues of life” (Prov. 4:23)• “train up a child”• “the whole body”• “ever learning” and (by the grace of God) able to come to the

truth• “study to show thyself approved”• “teach them diligently to thy children”

Cannot just address the behavior – must try to assess the reasons for the behavior.

Read Tedd Tripp (Shepherding a Child’s Heart, Instructing a Child’s Heart)

Go to Alex Kalsbeek’s sectional!

Solutions to the “Problem”? (1) Motivation to learn theory

• Most recent of the theories• Some of the ideas of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation

come out in this theory but it stands apart from these• Students who are motivated to learn will “find

academic activities meaningful and worthwhile and try to get the intended learning benefits from them.” (Brophy, p249)

• Not an affective response to the activity (intrinsic) and not because of a reward (extrinsic) but because of a cognitive process of trying to make sense of the activity.

Solutions to the “Problem”? (1)

Motivation to learn theory• Learning

• Information processing

• Sense making

• Acquiring knowledge

• Advancing skills

• Master the material

Solutions to the “Problem”? (1)

Motivation to learn theory• HOW to do this?

• Interest inventories

• Exit cards

• Connections

• Choices

• Engage them in learning

• Challenges

• Creative evaluations

Solutions to the “Problem”? (2)

TARGET evaluation (Ames, 1990)• Task – meaningful and challenging?

• Authority – shared with students – choices?

• Recognition – appropriate private and public recognition of achievements?

• Groupings – non-social and promote cooperation?

• Evaluations – multiple criteria and methods?

• Time – used well and enough for creativity to blossom?

Solutions to the “Problem”? (3)

Differentiated Instruction• Differentiation is a “classroom practice that

looks eyeball to eyeball with the reality that kids differ, and the most effective teachers do whatever it takes to hook the whole range of kids on learning”

Tomlinson, C.A. (1999). The differentiated classroom: Responding to the needs of all learners.

Solutions to the “Problem”? (3) Why use DI?

Brain research shows…1. Students learn best when the material is a little too hard

for them (but achievable).2. Tasks too hard brain downshifts and protects.3. Tasks too easy brain goes to “sleep”.4. Student personalities or culture affect learning.5. Motivation increases when learning is meaningful.

Solutions to the “Problem”? (3)

An example: Tiering Can be used for assignments,

centers, products, etc. Different levels of difficulty

based on readiness One works with facts, one

analyzes data, one builds a product, one makes a chart or song or…

Solutions to the “Problem”? (3)

An Example: 3-5-8 Menus• Design 3 activities to teach or reinforce a

particular idea

• Students must choose 2 of the activities for a total point value >7

• Works for individual math assignments or English assignments or social studies projects…with point values left to the discretion of the teacher

Solutions to the “Problem”? (4)

We cannot compete with video games, WII, and the Internet. SO DON’T TRY!!!

We can however use technology as an effective teaching tool

This will help enhance interest and motivation

Yes, but…what about rewards? “One of the most subtle but powerful ways of helping

students take ownership over their own work lies in how we treat students’ success. In the old model, when students did what they were supposed to do, we rewarded them. Rewards, we were taught, helped motivate students to do the right thing. The problem with this approach is that it puts the onus on the teacher, not the student…Soon students are doing what they are supposed to do anyway…because they will get a reward. Rather than rewarding students for doing their job, we should help them celebrate a job well done…Celebrating their success leaves the onus where it should be, with the student.”

• Robyn R. Jackson, Never Work Harder Than Your Students, p. 186

Yes, but…what about rewards?

“When someone makes you do something, your goal is to get the other person to leave you alone. External control may lead to compliance, but it never inspires you to do your best”.

• Bob Sullo, Activating the Desire to Learn, p. 1

Yes, but…what about rewards?

Research shows that:• Rewards cause students to put minimal effort into

achieving maximum reward

• Tend to cause students to seek less challenging activities

• Process less deeply

• Should be used with caution because they decrease intrinsic motivation.

• Some students will demand a reward in order to comply.

• Linda Lumsden, Student Motivation to Learn

May I use rewards??

Random unpredictable use Consider how you word the conditions

• “If you do your work, you may have extra recess”

• “We have enough time to finish our work and get out for recess a little early.”

• Don’t both accomplish the same purpose while making the reward seem like a plan of the teacher rather than a reward?

Don’t devalue learning by over valuing the external reward!

THEY WILL GET THERE!!!!!

Works cited available upon request!